Well I saw some Dallas Stars in Chicago yesterday eating at, "The Original Pancakes House." Of note there was Jamie Benn, Adam Burish, and Mike Ribeiro. I couldn't recognize the other three, though I'm pretty sure another was Loui Eriksson. I wished them well for their game against the Hawks, and told them how I hated the Hawks so. Hopefully that helps 'em out.

"If a guy slashed me, I'd grab his stick, pull him up alongside me and elbow him in the head."

Good on you for expressing your hate for the Hawks, haha. That's awesome, I still to this day haven't randomly ran into NHL'ers. If I did, I would most likely act like a little school girl. Atleast I got to skate all over the ice at JLA though!

Yeah, I was going to ask for some signatures, but they were eating by the time I got over there anyway. I remember I asked, "Hey, you guys play in the NHL for the Stars don't you?" Then Ribeiro said, "Those guys might at the end of the table I don't." Then I said, "But you are Mike Ribeiro aren't you?" And he responded, "Yeah they play for them, I more or less skate around with them this year." Then I wished them luck, and left.

"If a guy slashed me, I'd grab his stick, pull him up alongside me and elbow him in the head."

The only random NHL player sighting that I had was at Wayne Gretzky's restaurant in Toronto. I saw someone chatting it up with a couple tables. Then it hit me it was the co-owner of the restaurant Kevin Lowe. I tell the person I was eating with and I told him that apparently Wayne comes to his restaurant often. He said "You mean that Wayne Gretzky?” I did not believe him. But then I looked and he walked right by our table to the private room in the back. Followed later by Grant Fuhr, Craig Simpson, Walter (his dad) and 2 of his sons. Walter came to our table and asked if we are enjoying the food. Soon as word got out people were lined up at the private room entrance trying to get an autograph. I felt like saying let the poor man enjoy a meal with his friends and family.

"When the cast comes off, I ask my doctor, 'Have I recovered so I can play the violin?' The doctor says, 'But of course you can play the violin.' I say, 'Wow, this is great. Before this injury, I could never play violin at all. I must break the other hand so I can play guitar.'" –Pavel Datsuk on breaking his hand

Oh and Benn asked who I pulled for if not the Hawks, so I told him the Wings. Then he said I was a fair weather fan since they have won, "24 at home," so I showed him my Winged Wheel on my inner arm, and then Eriksson? (If that was him,)said, "Well maybe not," and laughed. Again, I really don't know my Stars players.

"If a guy slashed me, I'd grab his stick, pull him up alongside me and elbow him in the head."

Oh and Benn asked who I pulled for if not the Hawks, so I told him the Wings. Then he said I was a fair weather fan since they have won, "24 at home," so I showed him my Winged Wheel on my inner arm, and then Eriksson? (If that was him,)said, "Well maybe not," and laughed. Again, I really don't know my Stars players.

My only brushes with NHLers come from work.
I work downtown at Bestbuy (don't make fun) and Leafs come in pretty regularly. First guy I met since working there was Ron Wilson. He bought the nicest Mac laptop we have from myself and we just conducted business regularly. When he was skimming through his wallet I asked "What do you think of the team this year?" (this was my first indication I gave as to knowing who he was) He responded, "Best team Toronto has had since Sundin has been gone-what kind of discount can I get?" He seriously didn't take a breath between sentences. I offered him the 'student' discount which is to say $100 off in lieu of buying a service plan for $450. He said "Do I have to do anything?" and I let him know that I'd take care of it. He then asked for my card and he gave me his along with some nice gold seat tickets for the second home game of the season. The best NHL souvenir I now own is Ron Wilson's business card.

MLSE

Ron Wilson
Head Coach, Toronto Maple Leafs

Blackberry #
Fax #
Email

Since then he referred JM Liles and Lupul to the store and they got in touch with me. They were furnishing there new condos with home theatre stuff. Both were nice enough guys and Lupul brought tickets to the store. He also left tickets on his counter for the installers.

After I helped them out I texted Ron about the Wings game in TO and let him know they were my favourite team and he made some comment about them "being a good, but easy choice to cheer for". He had someone drop off the same Gold seat tickets to the store in an envelope with my name on it.

Funniest thing about all this is how badly I wanted Wilson to be fired before I started getting hook-ups lol.

I've run into quite a few NHL guys before. Ran into Stevie Y last summer actually, but he was born in my hometown. The Niedermayer brothers, Lafleurs and quite a few others current or retired. I've been lucky because so many players were born here, raised here or played for the WHL team in town. We used to billet players and so did friends of mine so I got to meet quite a few guys that way. My friend used to billet Stoll and Comrie and he's golfed with a few Wings so he's working on getting me some more autographs haha, he got me an autograph from Dennis Polonich when they were talking at the Kings-Coyotes game the other day.
My goal in life is to meet Pavel and Bert.

"Everything he does is exciting to watch.”-Holmstrom describes Datsyuk

I have a bunch of photos in the water cooler from when I got drunk with a few of the guys during training camp last year at a local bar up here. Then this past training camp I was in charge of them at their place of stay during training camp. Great guys, Nill and Holland were my favorite though since I talked to them the most.

The Best Of BCHankthaTank- Squirrels, they hate to be thrown. / Why is the magical unicorn named Brian... Jedi - I just downloaded the "kids" book, "Go the F--k to Sleep" as narrated by Samuel L. Jackson on my kindle. I am now ready to be a daddy. / *Checks Router* No, I'm positive I didn't hit the "Wings Defense Sucks" button. Electrophile - I'm just glad the Wings were able to win despite the Curse of Brian. ACallToArms - I think Trey needs to put something about payroll tax and deferred income in his sig... Edicius- I'd rather [have] a soundbite of me saying "I like (man sausage)" rather than "I like Crosby".

I seen Jimmy Howard and his girlfriend at 12 Oaks in Novi. It was when he first came up, when Osgood got hurt, and he got to play quite a bit. I had my infant daughter with me and we talked about her (his gf commented on her), about a game that had just happened or was about to (against Dallas l, I think), and about Osgood. I think I shook his hand and wished him well. 3 months later he had basically solidified himself as our goalie of the future. Pretty nice kid too.

I played against the Wings alumni in a charity game and was lined up against Mickey Redmond for most the game. We chirped a lot and I gave him a little friendly little hack or two. Great guy. Scored on one of the Wings goalies from the 80's.

I seen Mikael Samuelsson at Ikea (ironic, I know). Didn't talk to him though. Pretty sure I seen the majority of the Wings management at Iridescense in Motor City. They walked right by my table. I think it was Yzerman, Nill, and a few more. Didn't get to talk to them though. That would of been a dream.

Hung out at a party with Andy Greene, currently with the Devils. Cool guy, told me about how much of a tool a certain NHL'er is.

Funniest experiance though...seen a kid at 12 Oaks that I would have swore was Abdelkader. Asked him his name and said he looked like Abby. He looked at his gf and said "I told you so". I was puzzled, he said that he told her that people kept thinking he was Abdelkader. The ironic part is that he is actually a Boston prospect who played at Northern Michigan, Zach Trotman. I think he was the last player taken in his draft year.

I have a bunch of photos in the water cooler from when I got drunk with a few of the guys during training camp last year at a local bar up here. Then this past training camp I was in charge of them at their place of stay during training camp. Great guys, Nill and Holland were my favorite though since I talked to them the most.

That's sweet man. I think I messaged you during that time about possibly coming up there and where to hang out. Sounds like it would of been a blast.

I live in Orlando and in August of 2010 was on an Air Canada flight from Orlando (where i live) to Montreal. I happened to be in first class window seat, by myself. So this tall guy comes on the plane kind of late...in shorts, a baseball cap and very little in terms of carry on. Sits right next to me...aisle seat.

He looked like an athlete...he is super fit looking and i thought, "this guy is a pro tennis player or something." A male steward starts talking to him in French for like 5 minutes, before the plane takes off...kind of like he knew him. Took a picture with him.

So i look over and ask him straight out before the plane takes off, "Are you like a pro athlete or something?" He looks at me and says, "Yeah." So i ask him, "So who are you?" He says, "I'm Vinnie Lecavlier."

So now i'm thinking, "Holy sh@t, i'm going to be sitting next to Vinnie Lecavlier for the next f'in 3 hours!!!...unbelievable."

So i start talking to him about how i love the NHL and am a big Wings fan...how i have the Center Ice package and watch all the Wings game in Orlando...i also tell him Tampa is my favorite team in the East. I start talking about how Yzerman was just hired to run Tampa and how great that is....blah blah blah. He puts a little knee wrap on and i ask him what's up with that...just had a clean up scope on his knee 2 days ago. So then i give it a rest and the plane takes off.

Vinnie watches some TV or a movie...chows down on some food...falls asleep. Later on we get drinks and peanuts...i offer him my peanuts and he accepts. I'm thinking, "This guy signed a $80 million contract a few years back...his name is on the cup...he was the number one pick in the draft !"

Vinnie naps a bit...then he wakes up in a panic looking around...I go, "What's a matter?" He says, "My phone!! Where's my phone?" I tell him, "Well, you put it right on this arm rest in the middle...". He then looks at me kind of weird...like he's thinking i took his phone!!! But then i tell him, "Well, maybe it fell on the floor." He looks...and sure enough, it's under the frickin' seat !! Jeez, i thought he was going to punch me there for a brief moment before he found his phone. Realize i am about 5'7" and pretty wiry...i don't think he would have hit me...it would be like him picking a fight with Huds.

Anyways, then Vinnie starts rotating his right shoulder and kind moving his neck around...as if he's in pain...well, i'm a doctor and a bit curious..."you got a neck problem?" He says, "No, it's my shoulder..." He was moving his neck and rt shoulder for half the flight...like it was super annoyed. We talk about it a bit...

As the flight nears the end, i start asking him about how he thinks Tampa will do this year. He was excited that Tampa had picked up Dan Ellis for goal (turns out they got rid of him later that year) and Simone Gagne. His face lit up about Simone Gagne...I think Tampa had picked him up from Philly that year. He was super excited about the year coming up...and you could tell he had a passion about his work...very cool.

As we're on the last 45 minutes of the flight, i start blabbing about the Wings again...and also reassure him that Tampa is my favorite team in the East...he then says (unprompted i may add), "Detroit should be in the East...it's a BIG disadvantage...". Well, now i'm thinking, "Sh$t, like we always thought...all that travel is really a BIG disadvantage...". It really struck me that he would bring that up absolutely unsolicited...and that he would see it as a big impediment for a success of a team...this from a player's perspective, just shooting the breeze on a long plane flight.

Anyways, the flight ended and we kind of walked out and in the airport he was kind of looking around for his ride which wasn't there yet or something. I headed to my hotel.

I didn't bug him too much on the flight...no request for pics or an autograph...or tickets to a Lightening game. Tried to be respectful for the most part and let him rest and relax. But i did chat him up a bit about the NHL and found it really fascinating to hear his perspective on some of these things...it was a somewhat surreal experience really.

Man don't get me excited.. oh if we got Ott i'd crap a golden harp and play it in approval.

At one point I worked for a legit sports collectables store and got a lot of personalized autographs from players that I still have. I'd compile a list of guys i've met but due to lack of photographic evidence i'll spare myself the lashing. I do have a pic of me with Datsyuk right outside the wings locker room in another thread.

I will put it out there that former NY Giant Jason Sehorn is one of the nicest guys i've ever met, and that includes non-athletes. Again no evidence but the man was a complete class act.

$1 for every game won including BottleOfSmoke butt pats in the GDT

$5 for every series win

$1 for every Photoshop War submission I post

A flat donation of $10 regardless of what happens in addition to any conditions met above because it's for a good cause.

The only NHLer I met was Darren Pang in Chicago as I was leaving Great Lakes Training Center (Navy BootCamp) and of course I was decked out in my Whites. Darren and I were both in line to go through security and after we made it through I asked if he was Darren Pang and he of course stated yes. He was actually heading to Traverse City to golf with the Wings that afternoon. Panger and I talked about the Wings and the upcoming season for a while.